Though he said Linsanity was over as soon as he came to Los Angeles, Jeremy Lin may not get a say in the matter. In a city whose Asian presence is thriving and a basketball team looking for a Robin to Kobe Bryant’s Batman to get behind after last year’s disappointing finish, Linsanity 2.0 may be here before you know it.
Lin was traded to the Lakers from the Houston Rockets over the summer in a deal to clear up cap space for the Rockets to sign Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat that ultimately fell through. In Houston, Lin struggled as he didn’t get to handle the ball as much as he would have liked. Now on his fourth team in five seasons he’s never gotten the chance to play alongside a solid point guard to learn from. Enter Steve Nash, a two-time league MVP and third all-time leader in assists. Playing behind and practicing with a living legend can only help Lin who is hoping to match the productivity he had in New York where Linsanity was created.
Hopefully the short time he’s had with Nash in the preseason was enough as the future hall of famer just announced he will miss the entire season. Just as it was in New York the stars on the Hollywood walk of fame seem to be aligning for Jeremy Lin to come to the forefront and rise to the top. Okay maybe not the forefront as there’s still a guy wearing 24 on the team but still. Lin has a real opportunity to show the world what he’s got and that what happened in New York wasn’t a fluke.
The Lakers aren’t expected to do well this season in a powerhouse that is the Western Conference which can help Lin to stand out the same way Deron Williams has with the Brooklyn Nets. He also has the advantage that he didn’t get in New York in that he will be the starter from the get go instead of just the final third of the season which he’ll need since he’s only under contract for one year before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The California born turned Harvard alum has this one season to impress the Lakers and the city of Los Angeles as well as the entire league to hopefully land a big deal next season. First things first though.
With a city full of supporters and fans across the Pacific this looks to be the year of Jeremy Lin. He has all the skills necessary to be a star point guard in the toughest basketball league in the world. The man who sold more jerseys during his season with the Knicks than LeBron and Kobe will be competing in the biggest basketball market wearing 17 for the purple and gold. On the NBA’s official Lakers online store Lin is the only featured jersey on the first page besides Kobe and Magic. Even if he doesn’t want Linsanity to come to L.A. the reality is it’s already too late. The only question now is to what level will it reach? It’s only fitting he ended up in Los Angeles as Hollywood loves its heroes, especially the type who will most likely inspire a movie based on a true story 20 years from now.
(Photo Jeff Gross / Getty Images)
Written by Tubbs